The Demon Lord of the Phantom Thieves
by Glader96
Summary: Lelouch Lamperouge. Prince and Emperor. Rebel and Betrayer. Loved only by his family and true friends. Reviled by the masses as the Demon Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia. He destroyed a world and died for the sake of his little sister and as punishment, he is sentenced to endure in a world without her. Is it any wonder that he ended up doing the exact same thing? Once a rebel...


The Demon Lord of the Phantom Thieves

Preview of the End

Pandemonium engulfed the city of Tokyo. Fires burned in every street, not a single resident of the metropolis dared leave their dwelling, and all across the landscape battles were being waged between men and women wearing black clothing and faceless black masks, and beings of power from multiple creeds and beliefs of origin some even being monstrous in appearance.

Above the chaos, a young man sat upon a throne of bloody-red marble that itself was situated upon a mountain of corpses. The young man had hair black as pitch that fell and framed his face charmingly, an aristocratic and narrow face with few wrinkles, a thin body that spoke of a lack of physical exercise, and dull, lifeless purple eyes that reflected the flames of the city bellow. The young man was dressed almost entirely in white, his pants being completely devoid of any other color and his boots were made of white leather that was decorated with intricate lines of gold. The same color scheme also extended to the teen's long sleeve shirt and the mantle he wore on his back with only three exceptions, the first two were two red jewels of a perfectly round shape, one adorning his shirt and one upon his mantle, while the third was a large bloodstain that permanently marred his immaculate clothing.

This young man's name was Lelouch vi Britannia also known as the leader of the Phantom Thieves Joker, as the Shujin high school student Lelouch Lamperouge, once as the revolutionary hero Zero, and even as Lelouch the Demon Emperor of the World. He was a man of many faces, innumerable masks, and countless betrayals, who ultimately sought the betterment of the world for those he cared for no matter what deplorable methods he had to drag his soul through. He was a man who slew a god and manipulated a world to bring about lasting peace, and he was about to slay a second god at the price of his life to protect the sanctity of mankind's free will once again. He has no regrets; this is the path he has resigned himself to tread as it is his penitence for the necessary evil he committed in his past life. He knows not where his soul will travel to after this world but he will accept it as a continuation to his atonement, after all any world without HER is just another hell for a man like Lelouch; a man that committed countless sins for the sake of creating a better world for his sister.

The Fool is Ready for his Ending

He has Resigned Himself to the End of this Game

Let Hope Still Remains

Strength and Fortune has foreseen this Ending

They Shall Not Leave the Fool to This Fate

Strength Shall Facilitate the Necessary Conditions to Enact Change

Fortune Shall Discover the Path to His Salvation

Together They Shall Prepare the Way for Others to Act

The Sun and The Devil Shall Gather the Others

The Hanged Man will Remove All Obstacles From the Other's Paths

Temperance Shall Give to the Others Words of Advice and Praise

The Star Shall Command The Fool's Forces From the Back

The Tower Shall Direct From the Front

The Moon Will Direct Support the Thieves Will Desperately Need

Death Shall Oversee The Fool's Health With Justice and The Hierophant's Assistance

Together They Shall Protect The Fool While the Thieves Save His Soul

The Priestess Shall Lead Them in The Fool's Stead

The Magician Shall Show Them the Path

The Chariot Shall Smash All Obstructions Before Them to Pieces

The Lovers Shall Burn Through All The Fool's Past Sins

The Emperor Shall See The Fool's Truth First and Make the Rest Understand Him

The Empress Shall See Into The Fool's Heart First and Make the Rest Understand What is Needed

The Judgement shall Throw the Thieves' Plan Into Chaos

And The Hermit Shall Access The World to Give The Fool a Chance

The End is Nigh

The Board is Set

The Pieces are Ready and Willing

But the Odds are Stacked Against Them

It Will Require a Miracle to Save The Fool from His Own Despair

**Can the Phantom Thieves perform a miracle to save their Man of Miracles?**

**The answer has yet to be determined.**

**This is a whole new game now, let it begin!**

* * *

\- Moments Earlier -

Lelouch couldn't help but smile sardonically at the ironic state of events his new life had led him to. Yet again his aspirations to fix the world had led him to combating a god-like entity side-by-side with people he could consider close friends. Yet again his actions were being taken to protect the free will of mankind whom that, collectively, would have rather surrender such will for the sake of easy lives, and yet again his actions had led the masses to declare him a Demon Lord. Once more, for the sake of mankind's future, he would die, and again he would travel even further away from the world his beloved little sister lived.

Only this time his heralding of being a Demon Lord was, ironically, a cheer instead of a curse. The masses, now aware of the encroachment of Mementos on their world and lives, sought justice and retribution against a tyrant god whom wished the world's end and he, as the leader of the Phantom Thieves Organization known as The Throne, was their last hope at protecting their fragile world and reclaiming their futures for them.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

Honestly, the irony was so surreal and cruel that it was all he could do not to break down into a hysterical mess of both insane laughter and heart-shattering sobbing. His time in this fresh hell; this world without Nunnally, was just about over, he could just feel it in his soul, yet he would once again be leaving and betraying people he had come to consider friends in order to save their world. Truly his past deeds as the 'Demon Emperor Lelouch' and the actualization of the Great Geass he cast upon his home Earth, left him in serious debt with whatever deity was overseeing his punishment and he was nowhere near paying off even a fraction of what he owed.

…

He really should have known better than to get attached. Really, what an idiotic mistake. He was used to being alone, used to being hated, to being vilified and always wearing a fake face. So why did he let his guard down? When did he decide that it was wise to lower his guard and allow so many others to come so close to knowing the True him? When did he take leave of his senses and allow his fellow Phantom Thieves to become anything more than comrades? When did he lose his shield of rationality, allowing his soul to form bonds of friendship, and when did the chains he wore around his heart loosen to allow his ability to love others free itself?

… _That must have been it._

It must have been when he confronted Kamoshida to prevent him from raping Shiho Suzui. When he risked expulsion breaking into Shujin Academy to confront a man who held such distorted desires as to view the place of learning as his own castle and its student's his slaves. He had felt that thrill once more, the thrill of betting his future on an uncertain outcome with no guarantee of winning, of challenging a force stronger than him with higher station than him. He had prepared to confront the lust-possessed gym teacher alone, to face him alone, and to face the consequences of doing the right thing alone. At that moment, when he had felt so terribly alone at the prospect of once again bearing such terrible responsibility by himself, Ryuji and Ann had appeared. Ann had followed him after he rushed back towards the school after their talk at Big Bang Burger and along the way she had run into Ryuji whom she had demanded assistance from, and together they joined him to confront Kamoshida. The sheer amount of relief he had felt when they had joined him in busting into the criminal gym teacher's office had him smiling the entire time, as he dragged Shiho from that accursed room while blackmailing the idiotic teacher with a video of his assault.

It was their first act as a team and it would be nowhere near their last, and with time their team only grew in size.

Ryuji and Ann had chosen, of their own volition, to take the first steps towards changing the world with him, instead of leaving the entire situation up to him. Deep down he would always be grateful for them for that, even if at the moment he wished he had never met them so his departure could be less painful. Yusuke had later joined the group and, with a motivation to act against his father figure that Lelouch could so easily relate too, the two of them had become fast, if strange, friends in no time. Makoto had been a pain in his side since Lelouch's first day at Shujin, Lelouch could only guess that she had felt threatened by his intelligence, but when it was time to storm Kaneshiro's Palace she proved herself a fierce and dedicated ally, plus as a student council president she was nothing like Milly Ashford and that was something he was incredibly thankful for. Futaba, as an individual who had watched her mother die in front of her, was someone that could understand him intimately and whom he couldn't help but get close to. Haru, sweet and kind Haru, reminded him so much of Shirley, Euphemia, and Nunnally that it physically hurt him to stay in her presence for too long, yet he couldn't help but selfishly want to protect the one who's smile he felt such comfort in. And then there was Morgana, the mysterious mystical entity that he made a contract with but eventually became friends with, like a male and feline version of C.C.

…But none of that matters now. While Lelouch had promised to stay with his team to the very end, it was time for him to leave the stage. He would use the wishes and hopes of the masses to force his original persona, Arsene, to go through its Second Awakening and use the resulting power to spell the end of Yaldabaoth. The act would result in his death, Lelouch would have known that intuitively even if Igor had not told him privately before he left the Velvet Room. He would once more betray his allies, this time through his death, but in doing so he would secure their futures. It was an outcome he had no right disputing.

It was time for his second ending.

"Arsene!"

In a flash of blue fire, the mask that he wore his entire life to face adversity appeared behind his back like some sort of protective specter. Black, angelic wings stretched and curved around the persona to wrap around Lelouch himself, in a way that was rather similar to the cape he wore as Zero, while the red outfit the persona wore, a red suit with black claws, was almost an exact opposite to Lelouch's thief outfit. Finally, the persona's face, a demonic visage give form through fire, smiled cruelly and knowingly behind its long horns, a physical reflection of his personality as the 'Lelouch The Betrayer' so perfect that he flinched every time he saw it.

He wasn't ready for this, for his Second Awakening. Igor knew it, and deep down Lelouch knew it as well. He wasn't ready to face the deepest depths of his Soul, to meet the type of persona that could only be born from someone as twisted as Lelouch vi Britannia, a man who stained his mind, heart, and soul black for the sake of creating a better world. But despite that fear, Lelouch held on to the basic philosophy he subscribed to when going into conflict:

_The only ones that should kill, are those that are prepared to be killed!_

With a cruel smile, Lelouch reached his right hand back and grabbed hold of one of the many chains floating around the representation of his soul. He focused on the power the general public had given to him by believing in the society reforming Phantom Thieves, and he **pulled.**

The chain broke, the power of the people flooded Arsene's body, a pillar of blue light erupted from the demonic persona as he disappeared and small mots of light floated down from the heavens. Lelouch could feel the change within him, something was stirring, changing, preparing to appear, but to the rest of the world, the spectacle had looked like a failure.

"**Ha! So, you have failed to harness the power. No matter how many prayers of those foolish masses come together-… Hm!?**"

The arrogant god's worlds were cut off when, from on high, descended the being that Lelouch had felt stir within the Sea of his Soul.

"What the…!?" Ann's astonished words and wide eyes mirrored that of everyone in Tokyo who could see the descending being of pure power.

Black clothing, black skin, black wings, everything about the giant that was descending from the clouds above the city was black with only four exceptions. The first was the medals and decorations it wore upon its military dictator styled jacket; they were a shimmering gold that impressed on nary a glance and a blood-red sash that contrasted well. The second was its mask, which was a pure white with black accents, so much like Lelouch's own mask when he was in his thief outfit that it was impossible not to see the resemblance. The third was the being's horns, unlike Arsene's horns that extended forward parallel to its head this being's looped downward to extend parallel to its jaw and were also a resplendent gold that drew the eye. The fourth, and final was the being's eyes, that burned with a red that instantly reminded Lelouch of the mystical power he wielded in his last life; Geass.

With three sets of wings that began with pitch-black feathers but ended with wide bat-like ends, the angelic demon slowly descended from the sky until its waist was floating comfortably behind Lelouch and his team of thieves.

"That's—!" Yusuke looked upon the being in awe.

"Man, it's huge!" Ryuji's eyes were wide, but his closed fists were trembling in anticipation.

"What an immense power…!" Morgana analyzed the avatar of Lelouch's soul. "No way… Is it a Persona?"

From below the valiant Phantom Thieves, the masses of Tokyo cried out in joy at the appearance of the demonic figure whose appearance was such a counter to the god of control Yaldabaoth.

"What is That!?"

"I can't believe my eyes?!"

"It's like some sort of super Demon Lord, so cool!"

"Keep it up, Phantom Thieves!"

"Fools…!" Yaldabaoth growled as the belief of the public healed the injuries of Lelouch and his compatriots. Without another word the ancient being charged a great amount of power and unleashed a flood of curses to crush the Phantom Thieves.

Only for the flood of malevolent power to wash right over the grinning team of thieves.

"Impossible!" The god exclaimed in shock even as the masses bellow cried out their support.

"I see… If a god plays naughty, then it's a Demon Lord's duty to punish them…!" Morgana mussed to himself before cocking a sideways grin. "What better way is there for a finale as a Trickster! Joker, we're entrusting our strength and the people's hopes to you! Put an end to this!"

"You're wrong, Yaldabaoth!" Lelouch cried out with a wicked smirk as he took a stance similar to when he was Zero. Legs side by side with one slightly turned, back straight and shoulders stiff, left hand clawing at his chest while his right was held far from his body in a fit of theatrics. "While the masses may sometimes be foolish, while they sometimes might make the wrong decisions, while they may sometimes turn their gazes and ignore the call of justice, that does not give you the right to take their futures! They may live in the present and commit countless acts of foolishness, but each and every one of them desires the Future!"

Into his clawed hand, all the hopes of the people gathered into a glowing orb of light. With a diabolical smile, the former prince crushed the orb and took the wishes of the masses into himself, the power filling him but also leaving on his shoulders a great burden.

With a dramatic flourish of his coat, Lelouch took a moment to look into his new persona's blank, red eyes, before turning to glare at Yaldabaoth.

"This is the end! Pillage him, Satanael!"

With silent confidence, the demonic angel drew a large rifle-styled handgun and pointed it right at the god of control's head, as Lelouch slowly drew his Desert Eagle replica handgun, pointed it at the god and rested his finger on the trigger.

"Begone!"

"**Preposterous… You dare rob the people's wishes!?"**

"No!" All the Phantom Thieves besides Lelouch jerked in surprise when a figure in blue appeared upon the battlefield for mankind's future. Normally a mask of calm innocence, Lavenza's pixie-like façade was marred with desperation and worry. "Stop him! Stop Lelouch! As he is now if he uses his new persona he will die!"

Seven pairs of masked eyes widened in shock and worry, and then turned to their smirking leader.

"Lelouch! Stop, please!" Lavenza's cries echoed into the dark sky. "Please don't die!"

Lelouch's answer was to pull his replica's trigger, causing his persona to do the same.

From Satanael's gun, a dreadful bullet rushed forth, a spiral made from the seven deadly sins of humanity that drilled through the air faster than the speed of sound, just as fast as the bullet drilled through the head of the god of control Yaldabaoth. Along with leaving a large hole in the head of the god-like being, the bullet also tore through the cloud line that was preventing the world from seeing the beautiful sunrise that was hidden beyond.

"**What power… It surpasses my own… a god born from the wishes of the masses… So, this… is the true Trickster… Damn that Igor… it seems like he wasn't spouting nonsense… **

With its final words voiced, Yaldabaoth, the god of control birthed from the wishes of mankind, slowly began to dissipate into countless mots of light before its body flashed suddenly and completely disappeared.

Then, like a puppet whose strings were just cut, Lelouch collapsed to the floor, his phantom thieves outfit disappearing in a flash of blue flame same as his giant persona, and his eyes rolling up in his head.

"Lelouch!" The cries of the remaining Phantom Thieves thundered through the air, accompanied by the teens themselves who rushed to their fallen comrade's side

"Ah…" Lelouch gasped as Yusuke and Ryuji lifted him into a sitting position. "Nunnally, I did it… once again. I gave mankind… a future. Nunnally… I miss you, little sister."

And then Lelouch Lamperouge, the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts died.

* * *

"Lelouch!"

"No, Lelouch!"

"Leader, wake up!"

"Lulu, please!"

"Lelouch! Man, you can't die!"

"Lulu, don't die!"

"You can't leave us, Lulu!"

Hysterics rocked the world of the Phantom Thieves. Their leader, their confidant, their friend Lelouch laid still in their arms; his eyes closed, his pulse still, and his body slowly cooling. He who had brought them together, lead them in battle, listened to their woes, and who had been a stabilizing figure in their chaotic lives. He had cared and helped each and every one of them in some way, and he was dead.

"Ahhhhhhggggggg!"

Ryuji's pain-filled howls sounded like something out of a wounded beast. Makoto, Yusuke, and Morgana's tears fell from their eyes silently as they gazed on the boy's body. Ann and Haru had become inconsolable even as they held each other, their sobbing could faintly be heard by the masses below them. And Futaba, poor young Futaba, no tears fell from her eyes when she dropped to her knees next to Lelouch's body. No, her face was one of pure disbelief and incomprehension.

The only one not crying was the blue-clad form of Lavenza, though her yellow orbs beheld the sight before her with terrible pain before determination shone through the grief and her features turned hard.

"Thieves, Friends of Lelouch; we can still save him!" Suddenly silence reigned over the impossible platform the Phantom Thieves had battled Yaldabaoth on, a myriad of eyes glued on the Velvet Room attendant. "If you help me then Joker will live to see another day!"

"What do you need?" The first to answer was Futaba Sakura, a girl who held such kinship with Lelouch that she would seek any forbidden and sacred knowledge to keep his close.

"I'll do whatever is necessary!" Haru Okumura was the second to answer the call, a girl who had betrayed her own father to do the right thing and who would do far worse if it meant saving someone so close to her heart.

"Ya! There is no way I'm letting this be the end of our friend!" Ryuji Sakamoto responded next, his disregard for the conventional and willingness to follow his own path shining in his eyes.

"This is not the happy ending we fought so hard for! I will not allow it!" Ann Takamaki cried out her defiance to the cruel world they lived in, her eyes burning with conviction to fight against the natural conventions of the World.

"Lelouch and I made a contract, I help him teach him how to become a Phantom Thief and he helps me become human. There is no way I'm going to let him die before delivering on his side o the bargain!" Morgana swiftly agreed next, a young cognitive construct with such large goals that were only slightly less difficult than bringing the dead back to life.

"I will not hesitate. Just direct me on what I must do." Yusuke Kitagawa was next to answer the call of arms against Fate, the young man who held a similar distaste for his father-figure as to Lelouch would cut down all manner of beast for his friend.

"Yes. We will not accept this outcome. Lavenza, what do have to do to save Lelouch?" Makoto Nijima answered last, her eyes and the tensing of her muscles betraying her calm inflection and revealing her preparation to go to war against Death itself.

"First," the Velvet Room attendant looked into each of their eyes, judging each and every one of them determined enough to pull off this heist that would be harder than even the one against Yaldabaoth, a heist to steal Joker's soul from the jaws of Death. "We must gather the others, everyone that Lelouch has made a Social Link with while on his journey. To combat death we need every Arcana."

* * *

**Just a quick warning. I don't plan of updating this for a while, I mostly just want to see what kind of response this manner of Fanfiction; Lelouch in the Persona 5 world, gets and I was going through my fanfic folder and found this one just waiting to be judged by you all. That said, even if it gets a good response I most likely will not update and/or change/replace this fic until after I have gotten a chance to play and beat Persona 5 The Royal. **

**So, if you like the premise of this story let me know, otherwise look forward to the Danmachi x Magi fanfiction being updated next.**

**Peace out, Glader.**


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